Daveboone

I couldnt be too much happier with the forecast for next week end...temperatures dropping nicely, some rain....I still look forward to deer season opener like a kid waiting for Christmas! I hope to take a deer with one of my flintlocks this year, but if the days are too drizzly, will likely stay with my tried and tested Lyman Great Plains Rifle percussion....but it almost feels like cheating! Half the fun in the anticipation is planning my menu. I get to eat a lot of foods the wife doesnt care for at home. Curried lamb chops, home made chicken soup, mmmmm.

Two years ago during northern tier ML, i shot my deer at sundown in sixty degree weather, and burned rubber to get it to the processor before they closed....barely made it. Last year, temps were in the low forties and drizzly when I shot my buck. I didnt find it until sun up, but it was perfectly fine in those temps. I would be delighted to see a heavy frost and temps down in the low forties for the opener.

If they are /were quality (Easton ) spined and the right length, why not?

I go through my day pack, which has all my essentials for deer hunting in it. I make sure i have a handful of candy bars, a bottle of water, all the basics. Make sure my favorite hats and gloves are there. I shoot throughout the year so I am confident that I can grab either of my standards and be all set. Last year my goal was to hunt only black powder (patch and ball, open sights). I got a four point with my percussion rifle, and oopsed when I took out my .308 on a real sloppy day at the end of the season...and finished out my tags. This year, my goal is to hunt strictly with my flintlocks. No excuse not to. The only exception will be for if I need to hunt a back ridge, where the deer are consistently well out of range necessitating the modern crap.

damn ugly, yep. But the deer looks very healthy in other regards. Pass. I shot a buck about the same size with similar growths some time ago...nowhere near as bad as those though. It was very healthy in all other regards...but poor sucker was probably getting the brush off from the girls in the neighborhood.

I love my firearm tinkering, but sometimes what seems the simplest thing....five minute project, lasts all afternoon.

What did you decide to do? What do you have?

I love hunting the slop. My movement/scent is decreased, the deer are usually uncomfortable and want to move around and there are fewer other hunters out. Last year both my bucks I shot on horrible days. I usually avoid going out if it is too windy, but heading back to camp about 2:30 pm, it was dark rainy and dreary, wind blowing /gusting considerably. I would normally stay in due to the wind, but I was seeing deer out in the fields. I saw deer in the woods. I have good rain gear, and last year had the luxury of an elevated enclosed blind, so was very comfortable.

Kind of like Olympic high jump/pole vaulting... a damn few can make the leap, fewer make it clean, most of us stumble against the posts. Probably the same with deer. Many will attempt the jump, especially when chased/etc. not all make it.

I had to put down my Rottie a month ago. Out of work, she was my constant companion, and I had never had a dog that was as intelligent or as devoted (we are a long time Rottweiler family). She was closing on twelve, which is exceptionally old for her breed, and was in amazing health until only about two months ago, when she had a very rapid decline. I still choke up thinking about it. The only light in that tunnel....our new nine week old Rottie who is quickly taking over the house, happily playing with her new big brother and playing tag with our cat.

Weird, but very possible the doe has a messed up cycle. I would feel sorry for the fawn born in mid winter though!

Outstanding bear!!!! I hope you have a huge floor or wall to put him on. What did you take him with? What are your plans? I love spring bear hunting, and havent been in a number of years. I have only hunted Eastern Canada, but would love to do a coastal black bear hunt out west. Bs sure to do some shopping for a taxidermist...you want to be sure to get good measurements of his head size (not skull size) and pictures so the taxidermist understands what you want him to reflect...otherwise you might end up with a mount that shows a typical sized bear, not the hog you shot.

They go in population cycles, and are most abundant during migrations. Very cool little bird. Unfortunately....they taste like...dog turd (my closest uninformed guess of what a DT tastes like). anyone else have any experience eating them?

25, 50 75 and 100.

Here is an open invitation to black powder shooters for our clubs spring black powder shoot, June 10 and 11th. We are a small mellow club, strictly traditional cap and ball (no conicals, open sights only) . We meet for a weekly league shoot every Monday night and have several open shoots a year. We are located at 2298 Rt 6 Fulton NY. Our spring Verne Macdougall Memorial Shoot is June 10 and 11, Shooting starts at about 9. Hope to see ya there!

Not much happening there. 18 keepers on the north end. We talked with a student surveying fish takes, and he informed us they pretty much finished up about a week ago. At least we got the boat out.

I am late getting out this year due to projects, etc, but hope to hit the north end of Cayuga Lake tomorrow for perch. Anyone been out? any luck?

hmmm.....not how I pictured you...........Do you dress up more for hunting?

I breezed through it yesterday afternoon. They arent as much fun as they used to be. I used to love the military surplus rifles and gear, but there is very little ( in comparison ) any more. Lots of modern arms, but I enjoy the older stuff much more. There were a lot more booths with non gun stuff....T shirts, foods, etc. and empty booths.

They look like the common place inexpensive revolvers offered by H+R, High Standard, etc. seventy years ago... I probably am in the minority, but after shooting/owning several Henrys, I feel they are highly....HIGHLY, overrated.

Stupid should hurt/

Awesome. I hope to get out in the next week...most likely Cayuga.

Hmm. The Winchester 94 30-30 stock version was the tactical weapon of choice for many generations of lawmen, and gave pretty darn good service.

My 45-70 (Browning falling block) loves 3031 with a 350 g. Speer Round nose. I think I would rather not know how the Encore bucks with the big .458.

We havent been getting the deep sub zero killing frosts like we used to, thus many more of the little buggers surviving through the winter. They have always been here. I pluck one off regularly...like all antibiotics, we can be doing more bad than good by running to the doc for every sniffle or tick bite. A tick needs to be on for 24 hrs to transmit Lyme disease. Most of us shower much more frequently than that. Pluck the little sucker off, wash, and watch the spot. Of course you are going to have a small local red irritation spot for a couple days, but you watch for a "bullseye' developing around the bite. Then you go to the doc.